Cattle

About Cattle

First, a bit of vocabulary: "Cow" is typically used to mean all cattle; however, the word specifically refers to females who are older than 30 months or who have birthed children. Females who have not yet calved are known as "heifers," while males who are castrated are "steers" and intact, mature males are "bulls."

Bovine Behavior

Cattle spend approximately six hours each day eating and eight more hours chewing cud, a combination of semi-digested food and bile that must be further broken down before the plant fibers are digestible for the animal. Each day, cattle drink about 30 gallons of water and eat about 100 pounds of food each.

Many of us are familiar with the sight of a bovine tail swishing through the air, but did you know that the tail provides insight into the animal's condition and mood? If the tail is hanging straight down, the animal is relaxed, grazing, or walking. On the other hand, if the tail is tucked between the animal's legs, he or she is cold, sick, or frightened. The tail hangs away from the body if the animal is mating or feels threatened. A tail held in a straight line, perhaps with a kink, signifies an animal in a playful mood. Those familiar with dogs will recognize that the bovine tail behaves like the canine tail.

Cattle have a sharp sense of hearing and perceive higher and lower frequencies better than humans do. In some ways, their eyes are also powerful tools. Cattle possess 320-degree panoramic vision, which enables them to see in almost every direction—except directly behind them—without moving their heads. However, their depth perception, particularly when their heads are in an upright position, is poor. For this reason, cattle sometimes cringe at shadows on the ground.

Communication and Friendships

These animals communicate with each other in a number of ways. Vocalizations or "calls" can indicate excitement, frustration, interest, pleasure or stress. Cattle may also use a call to regain contact with a companion after they've been separated; as a prime example, when newly born calves are removed from their mothers, the cow will call to her child for days. Odors are also important to their communication and behavior, and cattle can detect smells up to five miles away. 

Cattle live in hierarchically ranked groups and begin to order themselves within the group at a young age. Physical communication and grooming help to establish this social ranking. What may appear to be a game, such as head-butting or shoving, is actually a method of determining which animals within the group are dominant. Interestingly, the strongest or most dominant animals do not necessarily become the leaders. Researchers in France recently discovered that traits such as intelligence, confidence, and experience help to determine who moves up the social hierarchy. Observing 15 two-year-old grazing cows, the researchers found that the herd consistently followed the same individual toward a new feeding site. According to the study's lead author, Bertrand Dumont, "It's adaptive to the animals to follow successful leaders, as this will improve their own food research success."

Scientists have discovered that cattle have the mental capabilities to nurture friendships. Cattle in a small herd, for instance, will join with up to three other animals to form a small group of friends. The animals in the group will spend most of their time together, frequently grooming and licking each other. They will tend to dislike other cattle who are not part of the group. And, like most animals, cattle also experience strong emotions such as pain, fear, and anxiety.

Nursing and Young

Contrary to what some people believe, female cattle do not spontaneously produce milk. Like human mothers, cows lactate to feed their newborn offspring. In the wild, cows isolate themselves before giving birth and may even keep their calves hidden for a few days before returning to the herd. Mother-child bonding occurs rapidly. Right after birth, the newborn is treated to a long licking from the mother until the calf's coat is clean. Much like humans, the calf suckles often, and the feeding process is initiated when either calf or cow calls to the other. A calf's recreation includes kicking, pawing, prancing, running, snorting, and mounting others. This play may begin with just two calves and quickly evolve into a group activity.

In nature, cattle spend about 40% to 50% of their day lying down. For this reason, the ability to stand up and lie down when desired is very important to these animals.

Cattle in Factory Farming

The natural relationships and activities of cattle are often stymied by conditions on factory farms. The HSUS is working to stop one of the cruelest practices that cattle endure on factory farms, that ofkeeping veal calves in crates.